Automatic truck dump



G. w. HAWKINS.. AUTOMATIC TRUCK DUMP.

AFIPLICATION FILED OCT 6| I920.

' Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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Snom/toa 6. W Haw/fins.

(. W. HAWKINS.

AUTOMATIC TRUCK DUMP. APPLICATION FILED ocT. s, 1920.

1,409,853. Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

5 SHIEETS-SHEET 2.

G. W Half/fin s'.

G. W. HAWKINS.

AUTOMATIC TRUCK DUMP. APPLICATION FILED dcr. 6, 1920.

lvwewtoz I G, W Haw/rin.:

e. w. HAwKlNs. AUTOMATIC TRUCK DUMP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. T5, 1920.

Patented Mar. 14

1922. 5 sums-sum 4.

Snowdon 6. W .Haw/fins Stimm;

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-G. w; HAwKlNs. AUTOMATIC TRUCK nMP.v APPLICATIQNIFILED QCT. 6 i920.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

vwantoz 6. W Haw/rifle? pertains to make and use the same.

UTEE) STATES GEORGE W. IIAWKINS, 0F KEITHSBURG, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC TRUCK DUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14;, 192.2.

Application led October 6, 1920. lSerial No. 414,958.

To all fui/tom t may concern.' Y

Be it lznown that I, Geenen la7. Hiiwniivs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keithsburg, in the county of lii'crcer and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Truck Dumps; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ai rlhis invention relates to new and useful improvements in truck dumps and has for its primary object the provision of means ivhereby a truck or vehicle may be bodily inclined so that its contents may slide therefrom, thus obviat-e the necessity of manually unloading the vehicle and also permit quick unloading of vehicles not equipped with dumping bodies.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a pivoted table for supporting the vehicle and which is so equipped with a power means that the same may be easily and quie zly moved into or out of dumping position. Y

A further object of this invention is the provisionv of means for automatically disconnecting the power source from the table when the latter reaches either a dumping or non-dumping position.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a truck dump of the above stated character which will be simple, durable and efficient, and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

vWith these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds` the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as will bc hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my iiivention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, .in which Figure l is a side elevation, illustrating' a truck dump constructed in accordance with my invention, 7

Figure 2 is a top plan view partly broken away illustratingV the saine,

Figure 3 is a sectional view, illustrating means for rendering the device inoperative in case of excessive strain,

Figure 4L is an enlarged detail sectional view, illustrating the means for controlling the movement of the table, i'

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating a worin connection between a pair of. shafts and the hangers for said shafts,

Figure'G is a detail sectional view illustrating means for imparting a raising and lowering motion to the table from a rotating shaft, Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a trip for automatically disconnecting the power source from the table when the same reaches a non-dumping position,

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the rack bars and gears for raising and lowering the table,

Figure 9 is a detail view partly in section. illustrating the controllingr lever and the locking means therefor. i

Referring in detail to the drawings. the numeral l indicates as an entirety a lplatform adapte-d to have oneend arranged over a pit or the like to receive the contents of vehicles and which end mayV also be associated with an elevator if so desired, for taking away the contents after the same is deposited in the pit. The platform is supported in any desired manner in spaced relation to the ground and in this instance legs 2 are shown for suoli a purpose and the other end of the platform has an inclined Vroadway 3 so that a vehicle may be readily run onto and off the platform. The platform has pivotally connected thereto a table 4. The pivotal connection between the table 4 and platform is closer to one end of the table than the other end and one end of the table termina-tes adjacent an abutting beam 5 that extends along one edge of the pit 6. The abutting beam 5 is adapted to be engaged by the rear wheels of the vehicle when the table 4: is disposed on an inclined plane to prevent the vehicle from rolling into the pit 6.

Hangers 7 are secured to the platform 1 and depend below the same and have journaled therein a transversely extending shaft V8 to which are secured pinions 9 that mesh with rack bars 10. The rack bars l0 are slidably mounted in suitable guides l1 and have their upper ends pivotally connected to the forward end of the table 4:, so that upon rotation of the shaft 8 in one direction, the table will be elevated to a position as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 1 and` when in this position, .the contents inthe truck may then slide freely down into thelpit 6. The guides 11 vare carried by the hangers 7 and are provided with anti-friction rollers '12 that engage the rack bars 10 to permit said 'rack bars to slide freely within the guides 11. r

A longitudinally extending shaft 13 is journaled in suitable bearings 1f1 eai'ried by the platform and said shaft 13 is disposed under the platform and underlies the transverse shaft 8 and is provided with a worm 15 which'ineshes with a worin wheel 16 secured to the 'transverse shaft 8 and the other end of the shaft 13 is provided with abevel gear 175that meshes with a bevel gear 18 secured to a transversely extending shaft 19. The shaft 19 is journaled in suitable 'bearings20 carried bythe platform and eonsists of a pair *of sections. r-1`he abutting ends of thief-'sections fof the shaft 19 has 'sp-lined or Votherwise fsecur'e'd thereto disks v21 and 22 which have abutting engagement with eachother'andthe periphery ofthe disk 21'1is screw 'threaded' Vto re'ceive an annular member 23 which is provided with A,an 1in- Awardly directed annular 'flange24 that over- "lies the disk22,'so as to 'retain the disks'in engagement with each ether. The disk` 22 yis provided with openings to receive "fragile pins 25 'that lenter 'sockets 26 'formed in 'the 'plate 2.1,thereby establishing a-coupling Vbetween the sections o'fthe shaft l19 which will under ordinary operating conditions cause the two sectionslto brotate in `un1son,.but 'if any of the working parts-of the device `receivey van excessive strain, the ffragile pinsl 25 "areshearedfrendering the device inoperative.

The otherend of the shaft "19 is j'ournaled and-'32, the opposing faces of'which have forned'ftliereon' teeth 33that areadapted to -niesh witha beveled gearfStfsecured to the outer "end tof "the "shaft '19. Female "clutch elements 35 and 36 are secured to the power shaft`29 and Vare -alternately" engaged Aby the male clutehelenients 31 and32 respectively. Y A entrolliiig lever 37 ispivotedptothe lower ei'idoflan extension formedonthe hangerj'28 alndeitei'ids upwardly 'through the platforinl way offatslot"3 8 and has '-forined on its l pivote'd "end afrins '39 which lhave ri'otches'lO in their free ends. "Links 41 are'coin'iectedtothe arms inwardly of their endsbypiir andsl'ot cenii'ections 'and said links are in tuin pii'oted to forks 42 that engage the sleeve 30 between spaced ianges 413. The lever 37 is normally maintained in a vertical position vby Vspr'ingsll and when in said position the clutch elements 31 and 32 aie :disengaged from the clutch elements 35 and 36 respectively andthe links and arms are :disposed angularly to each other as clearly shown in Figure et. The links arev provided withrpins'adaptedto be received by the notches of the Varms lwhen the :lever B'Tis swung in either direction to alternately engage the male vclutch elements 31 Aand 32 Vwith the female clutch elements 35 and 36 so Vas to hold the lever in either of its active positions. f By haviiigfthe pairs of clutch elements, the table `may be elevated and lowered by the po'wervshaft 29. The

clutr'h elements and32'or the teeth thereof are continuously in mesh with the lgear 3/1 and the movement of 4said vclutch eleineiitsis very slight and 'only suiiicient to bring their respectiveclutch faces out of eni gageinent with the-female clutch elements 35 `and 36. Then lthe' controllinglever 37 is swung on 'its pivot from a neutral position into one ofits Vactive positions, Vone of the arms and one vofthe links 'move'into ysubstantially parallelism so as to 'dispose the pin within the notch `ofthe arm which will re- One ofthe links 40 yhas connected thereto a cable 55 which passes over a'series of .pul-

leys andis connected to a bell crank lever 56 pivoted to the platform. The bell crank plunger 57 which4 extends up through the platform 'and-is adapted zto be vengaged by the table when in a substantially horizontal position 'for the'puipose of elevating said llink and 'permitting the controlling lever to return to itsjnormal position ltolstop 'the Y,

opeiation ofthe driving mechanism on the platform. f

The other link has connected thereto .a Cable 58 which passes over pulleys 59 carried by the platform 1 and 4is connected'to Vone endof a trip lever'5'9 'and the'latter is pivotally mounted inV thejplatform andV `has a comparatively long inclined'end() which is disposed over'the table adjacent its rear or shortest end andis adapted` to'be engagedby the diderential'housing of a vehicle when Vsaid table Vreaches substantially Vits fullest inclinedposition,'thereby elevat- 'lever is connected to a spring actuated' CII inclined position so that the contents thereof may readily slide into the pit. p Then the table reaches its substantially fullest inclined position, the differential housing of the truck engages the trip lever 59 depressing the same, exerting a pull on the cable 58 which breaks the locking connection to the controlling lever, and said controlling lever returns to its initial or neutral position by. the springs il and thereby disconnects the heretofore engaged clutch elements and stops the driving action on the table.

After the truck has been emptied ofits contents, the controlling lever 37 is swung in an opposite direction bringing the proper clutch elements in engagement with each other to bring about the proper driving action to move the table into a substantially horizontal position and when the latter reaches a substantially horizontal position, it depresses the spring plunger 57 which rocks the bell crank lever 56 and exerts a pull on the cable elevating the respective link to break the lock for the lever 37 and permit the latter to swing to its neutral position under the influence of the springs 4A.

lllhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination, and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what l claim is:

1. A truck dump comprising a platform, a table pivoted to said platform, a power shaft, a pair of clutches associated with the power shaft, means establishing a permanent driving connection between the clutches and the table, a controlling lever pivot-ally mounted and connected to the clutches for alternately actuating the clutches to raise and lower the table, means normally returning and holding the controlling table in a neutral position, and means for locking the controlling lever in either of its operative or active positions.

A truck dump comprising a platform, a table pivoted to said platform, a power shaft, a pair of clutches associated with the power shaft, a transverse shaft journaled to the platform, means connected to the table and -to the transverse shaft for raising and lowering the table according to the rotation of said shaft, means establishing a permanent driving connection between the clutches of said transverse shaft, a controlling lever pivotally mounted to the platform and connected .with the clutches for alternately actuating the clutches to establish a reversible drive connection between the power shaft and the transverse shaft, means normally holding the controlling lever in position, means locking the controlling lever in either of its operative positions, and automatic means for releasing the lever 'from either of its latter named positions -when the table reaches either its lowered or elevated position.

3. A truck dump comprising a platform, a table pivoted to said platform, a power shaft, a transverse shaft journaled on the platform, gears secured to the shaft, rack bars pivoted to the table and in mesh with the gears, clutches associated with the power shaft, means establishing a driving connection between the transverse shaft and the clutches, a controlling lever connected to said clutches and pivotally mounted, means normally holding the controlling lever in a neutral position, means locking the controlling lever in either of its operative positions, and means adapted to release the locking means so as to permit the controlling lever to return to a neutral position when the table reaches either its elevated or lowered position.

elf. A truck dump comprising a platform, a table pivoted to said platform, a power shaft, clutches associated with said power shaft, a driving connection between said clutches and the table, a controlling lever pivoted to the platform and connected to the clutches for alternately operating the clutches, tension means normally holding the controlling lever in a neutral position, locking means for the controlling lever in either of its operative positions, trips connected with the locking means and adapted to be actuated by the platform when reaching its lowcrmost position and by part of the vehicle carried by the table when said platform reaches an elevated position.

5. A truck dump comprising a platform a table pivoted to said platform, a power shaft, clutches associated with said power shaft, means connecting the clutches with the table, a controlling lever pivotally mounted on the platform, arms formed on the pivoted end of said lever and having notches in their ends, links connected to said arms by pin and slot connections, means connecting the links to the clutch elements pins carried by said links and adapted to engage the notches when the lever is in either of its operative positions to lock said lever in said positions, and means connected to said links for disengaging the pins from the notches to free the lever from its locked position, and means for returning the lever to its neutral position.

6. A truck dump including a pivoted table, means for raising and lowering the table. :1n element*controlling said means and nlnptedlo be nioijed from a neutral posi# v.tloninto a position to cause said mea-ns l,to mais@ thev tjablennd from Said neutral p0S1- tion into ,a position to Acuni-3er said means to ,-loii'er elle faiblel ineglns normally holding lSaid element in neutral position, retractable means adapted to hold sind element in either of ,itsvlopelative positions, and table and Velicle ControlV means adapted to retract Vsaid element` y.holding means when the table lreaches e'itliei ite `elevated olf lowei'ecl poel- Gnfonon W.Y HAWKINS.

lVitkneSses ELMER E. SMITH,

f C. A. Hom 

